A different approach to study “Think and Grow Rich”

After almost four years, I dusted off my copy of Think and Grow Rich for study. Just thought of going a little deeper this time.

For the uninitiated, Napoleon Hill‘s Think and Grow Rich is one of the most seminal works in the personal development movement. If you haven’t read it even once, I think you owe it to yourself for reading it at least once. And if you’re seeking a real challenge, try the original 1937 edition.

Here’s the best part — I’m starting off with “Chapter 9: Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith” which reinforces why I can’t give up when Resistance shows up at my door. Do you want to know why? Because…

“Resistance’s goal is not to wound or disable. Resistance aims to kill. Its target is the epicenter of our being: our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on earth to give and that no one else has but us. Resistance means business. When we fight it, we are in a war to the death.”

Hence, I fight. There’s no better way to stay on course to success, greatness and a rewarding future.

Now, I don’t want to turn this blog into a “personal development” dumping ground. That’s not the intention. But I sure want to document my journey, struggles, learnings and other weird thoughts that make my mind spin. Some of you already know that others simply don’t care.

In fact, in my experience, almost each of us appreciates that persistent, annoying blogger who puts something out every day than that perfectionist who waits an entire week to put out a gem to rank higher on Google. Though, nothing’s wrong with that. I would have done the same if my mind was in the right place. But since it’s not, I’ll just keep giving until the day I can’t give anymore.

Today, I document my struggle. Tomorrow, my successes. So that you could pick up the clues and use it for yourself or pass it on to someone else who needs it more. Eitherways, I would win. All I need to do is give.

But even that doesn’t come easy. To give, you need to make an effort. You have to show up. And you cannot stop.

Here’s an excerpt from the chapter for your reference:

PERSISTENCE is an essential factor in the procedure of transmuting DESIRE into its monetary equivalent. The basis of persistence is the POWER OF WILL.

Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair. Men who accumulate great fortunes are generally known as cold-blooded, and sometimes ruthless. Often they are misunderstood. What they have is will-power, which they mix with persistence, and place back of their desires to ensure the attainment of their objectives.

Henry Ford has been generally misunderstood to be ruthless and cold-blooded. This misconception grew out of Ford’s habit of following through in all of his plans with PERSISTENCE. The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on DESPITE all opposition until they attain their goal. These few are the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Edisons.

Going back to my approach to studying TGR. It’s pretty simple, I pick one chapter and read it every day for 15 days. The key is to essentially extract the lessons and explore ways to apply it to my life.

And yes, document my observations and share it here on the blog.

Some of my friends/mentors have been through this exercise and claim to have transformed their lives in doing so. Now, I am open to the fact that my efforts may not reap the results I have in mind. That’s totally fine with me. But it’s important that I try because I don’t want to die with a regret of not having tried it.

Again, the more you persist, the closer you to get your success — whatever “success” means to you.